Daye’s diagnostic tampon will be a part of the NHS (National Health Service) Innovation Accelerator.  The tampon uses cutting-edge PCR testing technology to allow women to test for HPV, which causes 99.8% of cervical cancer cases, as well as other common vaginal infections and STIs, from the comfort of their own home. 

“We are closer than ever before to eliminating cervical cancer, but to achieve this HPV screening rates will need to increase beyond current 69% coverage levels,” says Valentina Milanova, founder of Daye.

The patented technology collects more vaginal and cervical fluid than a standard swab, covering a larger vaginal surface area and increasing the diagnostic accuracy of at-home HPV screening.

“Our technology has the potential to make testing more accessible and appealing to those who have been underserved by traditional methods, while saving costs for the NHS,” Milanova adds.

Daye’s clinical data shows that the Diagnostic Tampon outperforms the self-collected swab in terms of sensitivity and specificity, with the lowest rates of false positives and false negatives when compared against the self-collected and clinician-collected swab.

The Diagnostic Tampon has been clinically validated with a variety of demographic groups, including patients who have never used tampons before, and patients who have vaginal atrophy, perimenopause and menopause.

Across the board, the Diagnostic Tampon was found to be comfortable by 90% of the studies’ participants.

The innovation directly addresses the NHS’ challenge of increasing cervical screening rates as at-home testing is more convenient and reduces patient anxiety associated with traditional screening methods. It will also support the NHS’ ambitious goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040.